By: Eliot Wilson

Eliot Wilson is a writer, commentator and contributing editor at Defence On The Brink. He was formerly a clerk in the House of Commons and writes regularly on politics, defence and international security, and Parliament and the constitution, including for The Spectator, The Hill, The i Paper and CapX

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It’s wedding season on steroids: Here’s how to dress properly

August 19, 2021

I’m at an age where most of my friends who are so inclined have already married. However, throw in a partner a decade younger and some pals who have made mid-stream horse changes, and I do still get invited to weddings. This year is special, of course. The pandemic and its attendant lockdown acted as [...]
The fall of Afghanistan: Western governments got bored and Taliban rule has been resurrected

August 16, 2021

We are watching a strategic and humanitarian calamity unfold. We are watching it live on TV and social media and yet, despite its immediacy, despite information from the scene of unparalleled detail and accuracy, we are doing nothing. Nothing except, perhaps, trying to evacuate the last few thousand of our troops who are still in [...]
Why you should break out the tweed for the Glorious Twelfth

August 10, 2021

In Britain, 12 August – AKA the Glorious Twelfth – is the first day of the season for red grouse. This is not just tradition but law: read the Game Act 1831 for further details. It is a day of great excitement and activity on our vast grouse moors, so big they account for nearly [...]
Rolling out the welcome map for tourists will pay off for London

August 9, 2021

Anyone who has lived in London for more than a few months will have a jaundiced view of tourists. They crowd the pavements and the Tube, they form great queues outside museums and galleries, they book out restaurants and they seem to have a preternatural ability to wander aimlessly in a way which is maximally [...]
Afternoon tea in style: A short guide

August 5, 2021

For the British, “tea” is an absurdly complex word. It is laden with meaning and nuance, and how you deploy it will, in certain circles, say more about you than you might like. Most obviously, it is, supposedly, our national drink. I can’t abide tea at any price, but steeped leaves from China, India and [...]
Nigel Farage has lost his way as voice for the silent majority

August 2, 2021

There are some basic rules of public relations which are familiar to anyone with, well, the world. There are some groups which it is folly to challenge, no matter how well argued you think your case is. Nurses, children’s hospitals, veterinarians, cancer researchers: all are best given a wide berth if you’re feeling pugilistic, as [...]
Green and pleasant land? The future of cannabis use in the UK

July 29, 2021

Smoking as a social activity suffered a heavy blow around 15 years ago. Between 2006 and 2007, the four parts of the United Kingdom brought in new laws prohibiting smoking in public places, with Scotland being the first to take the leap. I bear a sliver of responsibility: I worked for the House of Commons [...]
The Northern Ireland Protocol was only ever a placeholder to get Brexit over the line – now the real work begins

July 26, 2021

Mention Northern Ireland to a British politician and he or she will edge towards the door. With some notable exceptions such as John Major and Peter Mandelson, our leaders have tended to regard Northern Ireland as a strange land where normal rules do not apply: sectarian divisions they don’t understand and political parties which don’t [...]
Why we must resurrect the tie from this boorish open-collar culture

July 23, 2021

Since the general demise of hats, the most vulnerable, because the most superficially dispensable, piece of a gentleman’s wardrobe is the tie. In politics, we have perhaps David Cameron to blame for pioneering the look of dark suit and open-necked white shirt which may have been a carry-over from his days in public relations. For [...]
Credit disagreement: the future of the high street depends on how we handle retailers’ Covid debt

July 19, 2021

It is a commonplace that the pandemic has devastated the economy. The prospects of recovery may be rosier than we had dared imagine, but businesses have suffered grievously, especially those for whom in-person custom, footfall, is vital. One sector which has been hit particularly hard is independent retail. The death of the high street has [...]

Pay for Natwest’s top boss balloons to £6.6m as bonuses soar

Two-job Townsend is on the brink but deserves break from Scotland fans

The unlikely City florist that once served the royals

By: Eliot Wilson

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